Recoil and run-out gear for ordnance



A. T. DAWSON AND G. T. BUCKHAM.

RECOIL AND RUN-OUT GEAR FOR ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8.1918.

Patented June 8, 1920.

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RECOIL AND RUN-O UT GEAR FOR ORDNANCE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 8.1918.

Patented J me 8, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS IBUCKI-IAIVI, OF WESTMINSTER,

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF XVESTMINSTER, LON- DON, ENGLAND.

Application filed July 8, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR Tnnvon DAwsoN, knight, and Sir GEORGE THOMAS BUCKI-IAM, knight, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Recoil and Run-Out Gears for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance recoil and run-out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type having an air reservoir and a cylinder which serves the dual purpose of a recuperator cylinder and a recoil or brake cylinder.

According to the present invention we provide an adjustable plug, valve or other device for restricting as required the port or aperture that establishes liquid communication between the air reservoir and the aforesaid cylinder. We also employ means for cutting off communication between the cylinder and the air reservoir as the gun is completing its recoil movement. The piston of the said cylinder may have a retarding ram which extends rearward and which, as the gun returns to its run-out or firing position, enters a recess in the rear part of the cylinder. As during recoil of the gun, there would be no liquid at the rear of the piston, we provide means for enabling a certain quantity of liquid to enter the rear part of the cylinder and the said recess.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing more or less diagrammatically one constructional form of the improved recoil and run-out gear.

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a somewhat modified form of the recoil and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Serial No. 243,878.

D (Figs. 1 and 2) is the aforesaid plug or valve and Z) is the aforesaid port or aperture which establishes liquid communication beandthe said plug extends across the port or aperture 6 so that, by manually displacing the plug about its axis to bring the cut-away portion (Z into different positions, the crosssectional area of the port can be varied as required. The said port is situated near the forward end of the air reservoir C and opens into an annular space between the forward part of the cylinder B and a forwardly extending piece B to which the air reservoir and the cylinder are attached.

E is a spring controlled valve situated at the open end of the cylinderrthis valve is arranged around the rod B of the piston P and is provided with holes through which the liquid from the air reservoir C and the aforesaid annular space passes to the cylinder B during the run-out movement of the gun. During the recoil of the gun the said valve is moved off its seat by the pressure of the liquid in the cylinder, thus allowing the liquid in this cylinder to flow freely into the above mentioned annular space.

The aforesaid means for cutting off communication between the cylinder and the air reservoir as the gun is completing its recoil movement, comprises, in the construction shown by Fig. 1, a ram 5' of tapered or other suitable formation which projects forward from the pistonB and which toward the end of the recoil movement of the gun. enters a portion 6 of the cylinder which has smaller diameter than that of the remainder of the cylinder, the said .ram serving to gradually cut off communication between said cylinder and the aforesaid annular space as the recoil movement is being completed. In-the construction shown by Fig. 3 the ram 6' of Fig. 1 is substituted by a valve 6 which is slidably mounted on the piston rod B and is held by a spring against a collar 5 on the said rod; this valve, when the gun is approaching the end of its recoil movement, closes on a seating 72* in the front end of the cylinder. To avoid excessive shock a tapered flat surface 6 is formed on the piston rod so as to provide a gradually decreasing opening between the valve and the piston rod and to carry the point of actual cutoff a few inches beyond the position at which the valve 6 and the seating 6* come into contact. In this figure the valve E is similar to that of ig. 1 but the plug or valve D of Figs. 1 and 2 is not employed in Fig. 3.

B (see Fig. 1) is the aforesaid retarding ram extending rearward from the piston B and B is the recess which this ram enters as the gun returns to its run-out or firing position. This recess is formed axially in a forging 13 connected to the cylinder B and to the lug A on the gun. The aforesaid means for enabling a certain quantity of liquid to enter the rear part of the cylinder and the recess 13*, comprise a liquid reservoir or tank F communicating with the rear part of the cylinder by a passage 7 so that the liquid can enter the cylinder when recoil occurs, and also communicating with the recess 13* by a second passage f so that the liquid displaced from the recess by the entry of the retarding ram B can reenter the reservoir. The said second passage has an adjustable valve f of any suitable type for enabling the rate of flow of the liquid from the recess 13* to the reservoir F, to be regulated as required. The upper part of the said reservoir has a passage 7 which communicates with the atmosphere and is controlled by a ball 7 held in position by a light spring, this arrangement serving to relieve undue pressure in the reservoir at the termination of the run-out movement.

hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In ordnance recoil and run-out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type, the combination with the air reservoir and a cylinder serving the dual purpose of a recuperator cylinder and a recoil or brake cylinder, of an imperforate piston movable in said cylinder, a ram integral with the piston and preceding it during recoil having a varying cross-sectional area along its length which ram, to-

I ward the end of the recoil movement of the gun, enters a portion of said cylinder having a smaller diameter than the remainder of the cylinder and communicating with the air reservoir by an aperture through which liquid passes from the cylinder to the reservoir during the recoil of the gun and also from the reservoir to the cylinder during the run-out of the gun, thereby gradually cutting off communication between the cylinder and the reservoir.

2. In ordnance recoil and run-out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type, the combination with the air reservoir and a cylinder serving the dual purpose of a recuperator cylinder and a recoil or brake cylinder, of a ram of tapered formation which, toward the end of the recoil movement of the gun, enters an extension of said cylinder having a smaller diameter than the remainder of the cylinder and communicating with the air reservoir by an aperture through which liquid passes from the cylinder to the reservoir during the recoil of the gun and also from the reservoir to the cylinder during the run-out of the gun, thereby gradually cutting off communication between the cylinder and the reservoir.

3. In ordnance recoil and run-out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type, the combination with the air reservoir and a cylinder serving the dual purpose of a recuperator cylinder and a recoil or brake cylinder, of a piston working in said cylinder, and a tapered ram which extends forwardly from said piston, and which, toward the end of the recoil movement of the gun, enters an extension of said cylinder having a smaller diameter than the remainder of the cylinder and communicating with the air reservoir by an aperture through which liquid passes from the cylinder to the reservoir during the recoil of the gun and also from the reservoir to the cylinder during the run-out of the gun, thereby gradually cutting off communication between the cylinder and the reservoir.

4. In ordnance recoil and run-out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type, the combination with the air reservoir and a cylinder serving the dual purpose of a recuperator cylinder and a recoil or brake cylinder, of a retard ing ram which enters a recess as the gun returns to its run-out position after recoil, a liquid tank, communicating by one passage with the rear part of said cylinder and by another with said recess, for supplying liquid to the recess during the recoil movement of the gun and for receiving theliquid displaced by said ram during the run-out movement of the gun and an adjustable valve arranged in the passage leading to the recess.

In witness whereof we afiiX oursignatures.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWVSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM. 

